IONA MAE UTLEY January 25, 1934 – December 28, 2018 Share this obituary Send Flowers View/Sign Guest Book| Send Private Condolences| Send Sympathy Card Iona Mae Utley, beloved mother and grandmother was born in Willis, Texas on January 25, 1934 to the late Mathew B and Leona Pearson. She was the third of seven children born to the Pearson family. Iona and her family moved to Riverside, Texas and later to Trinity, Texas because her father worked for Missouri Pacific Railroad and he was often bumped or moved during his early years with the railroad.
Iona attended public school in Trinity, Texas. Iona fondly called “Onie “by her siblings grew up in the AME (African Methodist Episcopal) church in Trinity, Texas. All of her childhood guidance was provided by her church and her parents.
Her favorite saying was: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” a command based on the gospel of Matthew 7:12; words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount: Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. This was a consistent philosophy in her household when addressing the emotional needs of her children. She often said that if people would just follow that one verse, the world would be a better place.
Iona met and married Harrison Utley III in Trinity, Texas. Harrison Utley III became a stepfather to Raymond Russell, Iona’s first born. They had three more children: Sharon Ann Utley(deceased), Randy Utley(deceased) and Sena Utley which expanded their family of three to a family of six.
She was a loving and compassionate mother to all of her children. She was not only compassionate about her children but also of other children who she thought might be troubled. Iona loved being a homemaker and she was great at it.
Iona loved houseplants; she would pot and repot her houseplants and of course buy new ones. She could recite the names of houseplants upon site and her house was adorned with different varieties of plants. She was passionate about decorating her home and keeping current with the changing decorating styles.
Her cooking was of the finest, she never stuck to the same cooking style; she was always cooking something new. She often got new recipes as well as decorating tips from the newspapers, magazines, people and also television. Iona lived her life to its fullest until her illness; she encouraged her children to live life and to have a good time doing it.
When she was younger, she and her sisters often went dancing and to see different recording artists. She loved Jazz music and she always stayed abreast of the latest music; Jazz or popular. She was also a movie buff; she usually went with her children tagging along on the first day or week of the movie.
Iona’s life was her children and she loved them immensely. She taught them how to enjoy life; whether it was going dancing, to a movie, to a concert, to see the circus, going to the zoo, to a museum and many more wonderful places. Iona Mae Utley became heaven’s star as she departed this life on Friday night, December 28, 2018.
Her granddaughter, Heather Williams pointed to the dark sky and only one star was shining brightly that night when she left us. Iona Mae Utley leaves to mourn: her two children, Raymond Russell (Augusta) of Huntsville, Texas and Sena Utley of Houston, Texas. She also leaves to mourn her eight grandchildren: Felicia Wheaton, Randy Utley Jr. (Perchanda), Heather Williams, Cindy Russell, Beau Utley (Clorissa), April Russell Guevarra (Mark), Belinda Russell Masterson and Raymond D.Russell, four great-grandchildren and a host of other relatives and friends.
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